Evolution of the Weight Management Category
Is the weight management CPG category dying or is it lowkey evolving into something more interesting now?
If you’re someone in the first camp that answered the weight management category is dying…are you for real? Americans are still extremely interested in weight management. Yes, it has seen several cycles of ups and downs during the pandemic era, but I’d argue the extra unwanted pounds gained by the average American during these last 2.5 years has only elevated the long-term outlook for the weight management category.
Thin = Social Status Symbol
Regardless or “COVID-19 Effect” or not, there’s some longstanding American cultural and socially arbitrary things at play here with weight management. If you’ve ever looked through survey data focused on dietary outcomes, these reports almost always have weight management near the top of list in terms of popularity/interest. This is because there are the obvious health-related motivating factors, but something deeper is at play as to why weight management has been on the top of many Americans' minds for decades.
Being thin is now a social ideal and used as a social distinction from the increasingly obese masses. Physical appearance is a huge motivating factor for weight management in America. Social consequences of not achieving those dietary outcomes are perceived to be very problematic in terms of consumers everyday impression management of social life. A common thought that runs through many American minds is if I gain lots of weight, what will others think of me when I leave the house. Things like diet culture, popular fad diets, and social media put pressure on people to look a certain way.
Blame American Lifestyles
Another core reason why weight management is such a mass appeal consumer outcome is that modern American life constantly messes with our ability to achieve even a fraction of the standard we set. The harder health, fitness, and body image goals get to achieve, the more it drives growth of weight management products. So, it should be no surprise to learn that the USA is by far the world’s largest weight management market, accounting for approximately one-third of the total global sales. According to Innova Market Insights, between 2017 and 2021, the United States, even though it’s also the most mature market, was still responsible for 20% of global food and beverage launches in the weight management space, and 41% of launches in supplements.
But, before I get into what’s going on with the shifting product landscape in the weight management category, I wanted to give a quick shoutout to the sponsor of this content, NuLiv Science. Over the last 25 years, NuLiv Science has grown into a leading full range ingredient supplier, early-stage developer of nutraceuticals, and a trusted turnkey service provider to the dietary supplement and functional food and beverage industries.
By utilizing NuLiv Science’s world-class weight management ingredient InnoSlim, brands can develop products that address the root causes and challenges behind unwanted weight gain. Backed by two human clinical trials, 250mg of InnoSlim may support healthy weight loss by reducing excess glucose calorie absorption, appetite suppression, and increased fat burning.
If you’re interested in obtaining more information around why brands are formulating with NuLiv Science ingredients to take their products to the next level, head over to NuLivScience.com or reach out to me directly and I’ll connect you with the relevant team member.
Weight Management “Legacy”
When you think about the weight management category, what products come to mind? If we are talking about the supplement category, it’s probably fat burners, thermogenics, and/or appetite suppressants from brands like Hydroxycut®. In the food and beverage category, it’s probably an assortment of nutritional snacking items from Atkins® Nutritionals or WW (aka Weight Watchers®).
Humans have very few dietary needs that require deep thought to fulfill. That’s why product packaging within the weight management category has historically made explicit promises of weight loss. Here’s the problem that has begun to happen over time, consumers want outcomes. They may vary in their degree, but products are simply a means to the end. Weight management category consumers are notorious for trying products that promise results regardless of diet or physical activity.
I’ve already mentioned how the American life constantly messes with our ability to achieve weight loss goals. The stark reality is that over the last four decades, the prevalence of obesity has tripled, and, along with that rise, dieting and attempts to lose weight also have soared. So, decades of overhyped marketing of “the magic pill or food or beverage concoction” has created a loss in consumer confidence.
Weight Management “Evolved”
It might seem like weight management has a grim outlook, but shifts in consumer behaviors, in part due to the “COVID-19 Effect”, will likely provide massive opportunities for the category. As health literacy and knowledge about health risks grows, including the highly detrimental impact of being overweight or obese, most of today’s weight management consumers are realizing that a lifestyle change is necessary versus a crash diet. On the other hand, brands interested in selling weight management products must understand that the “quick fix” and “instant gratification” consumer mentality won’t go away anytime soon. It’s about converging consumer behaviors together into a hybrid approach between product development and marketing.
As a result, the evolution of the weight management category will shift into more cleverly positioned food and beverage products. These products won’t have packaging that screams weight management but will intuitively connect to dietary outcomes. They will allow consumers to come to their own conclusions on if the products will fulfill their dietary requirements.
How consumers know products are in the weight management category without them explicitly stating it on the packaging will come in part from internet and social media culture. Consumers learn to interpret symbols on package in social (media) settings. You also have SEO (or SEM) that links Amazon or Google non-branded product search to key attributes to show a weight management connection.
Weight Management “Convenience 2.0”
Most of today’s weight management focused food and beverages resemble ready-to-drink protein beverages and ready-to-eat nutritional bars. While those product categories continue to grow, they’ve also become some of the most competitive and fragmented product categories. That means it’s time for a paradigm shift for CPG brands focused on weight management. Instead of the doing the lowest common denominator product development, select a mass-market culturally accepted indulgent category but view it through a lens of restraint.
Toss in the convenience value proposition, so that these offerings can easily fit into the everyday routines of consumers, and you have an even higher probability of winning in the market. Penetrating consumers’ everyday lives will be key to the future of weight management. This is how you get Magic Spoon® high-protein cereal, Quest Nutrition® protein chips, Halo Top® ice cream, and Real Good Foods® pizza. It’s mainstream indulgent categories that’s connected symbiotically to the highly monetizable dietary outcome of weight management. These products aren’t explicitly promising weight loss…they provide a consumer the ability to manage their weight while boosting their pleasure.
Don’t Forget About Weight Loss Supplements
The sad truth is that there will always be consumers willing to try weight loss supplements that promise results regardless of needing to change any other aspect of your lifestyle. That being said, as consumers become more knowledgeable, health and fitness conscious, and realistic about expectations, the future of weight management lies in complementing overall lifestyle changes. Supplement brands that acknowledge that there are multiple causes of weight gain or difficulty managing weight may have a better shot at market share.
The innovations that are coming from a science perspective help support this approach to healthy lifestyles with ingredients being researched for blood sugar and appetite control. Additionally, there’s an emerging category of supplements known as psychobiotics that’s leveraging the gut-brain axis to help consumers better manage their mental state to better manage their diets. I talked a bit about this during a recent recorded discussion with gut health expert, registered dietician, and CEO/Founder of Uplift Food Kara Landau.
Final Thoughts
As consumers commit themselves to losing “the pandemic 15”, CPG brands focused on the weight management category will continue to evolve, innovate, and adapt. Whether it’s probiotics or herbal blends used in multifunctional supplements or indulgent (yet healthy) foods and beverages, the weight management category isn’t dying anytime soon…it just might look a bit different now (and even more so in the future).